Declutter for a Cause – Day 4: Pantry

Food cupboards are an often neglected source of clutter, so filled with items that we can’t see that we have already got four bottles of the same vinegar, or so many cans of things we are never going to use.

Food wastage is an issue on so many levels. Your wallet takes a hammering, huge volumes of resources are depleted in the making of foodstuffs and let’s not forget that there are many people suffering food insecurity. Some people have no access to regular food and there are plenty of families who can pay all their bills but have to skip some meals to make ends meet.

Today is about clearing your food cupboards. Pull everything out, tackle it shelf by shelf and carefully consider each item before you return it. Ditch anything past its Use By date and carefully consider items that have hit their Best Before recommendation.

Are you really going to eat that packet of “insert latest food fad here” or get through eight tins of cranberry sauce? Consider donating your excess unopened dry goods to a food bank or homeless shelter. Supermarkets often have food collection bins, as do schools and soup kitchens.

Making (and taking!) shopping lists can help prevent food wastage. If you are in a position to do so, buying an extra food item to donate on your way out of the supermarket is a really kind gesture.

Bonus tip: No matter how frugal you may be, herbs and spices well past their best before date do not add flavour to anything. Don’t believe us? Then take a sniff right now. No smell? Musty? Hmm… compost time!

#Declutter #DeclutterforaCause #makeadifference

PS Anyone game enough to admit the date of their oldest out-of-date food item?